Memento Mori
by Angel-Hunteress
Summary: Remember, you are mortal. 100 Doctor/Rose themes. Any genres including angst, humor, fluff, friendship, AUs. Pretty much, expect the unexpected.


**Memento Mori**

_Right, so I just finished my first one-shot 'Choices' and I really liked it. I mean, I've never done a one-shot before even though I've been here for a good four years (wow, since I was twelve??) and I felt like it's time I should. Plus that, and my last obsession in between my obsessions with Doctor Who was Fullmetal-Alchemist, and they're just FULL of 100 Themes, so I thought 'how come Doctor Who doesn't have a 100 themes'? (I really did) and then I came across these and I HAD to do it._

_Btw. Memento Mori means 'Remember You Are Mortal' in Latin. Thought I'd put that in._

_I got inspired from various stories and added my own touch. A lot of my inspiration from I've-Lost-My-Profile-Page's "What If" and FMA 100 Royai themes posted by various people._

* * *

**Theme 67: Drums**

He had finally found a way to her.

Though it had taken years for him to be able to safely get across the Void, he was here, in Pete's World. Of course, the years part might have been due to the fact that he had run just about every single plan through his head--except the most obvious one perhaps.

"No wondering off," said the man wearing the brown pinstriped suit with white trainers as he stepped off the TARDIS.

"I can go wherever I want, Pretty Boy," retorted the second man with a Northern accent, who followed the first man off the TARDIS, clad in a dark leather jacket that seemed to contrast with the somewhat warm weather.

"Children," scolded the third man with an American accent. He was the last one off the TARDIS, wearing a white shirt and jeans with a dark overcoat.

"I was only saying that for the safety of my well-being," the Tenth Doctor defended.

"You mean _my_ well-being," the Ninth corrected.

"Yep. That's exactly what I said. '_My'_ well-being," Ten grinned smugly, having won the latest argument with his former self.

"Don't even know why I signed up for this," muttered Nine.

"You know exactly why," Ten replied, serious now.

Both held each other's gaze, an unspoken agreement between the two. Nine shrugged, the solemnity broken.

"But you see, why you're being--or trying to be--the knight in shining armor, I've got my own Rose stuck in the TARDIS. And with Jack!"

"Hey!" replied an indignant Jack. "I'm not that bad!"

The two Doctors exchanged glances.

"Besides, I'd remember if we did," Jack defended, then frowned, a distant memory coming up to mind. "I think."

"Right, soon as we find Rose we'll ask her," Nine began. "And if she says yes, I can run back to your previous self and _then_ we'll see who's immortal."

"How'd you--?" Jack began, his tone more serious.

"My TARDIS. She reacted against you. I could feel it too. You're...wrong somehow."

"That's what _he_ said. Prejudiced, you lot," he didn't sound bitter, rather he spoke fondly.

"The TARDIS has grown fond of you, though, Jack. I don't know what you did--and I don't think I _want _to either. Still, she seems to like you more. Probably even more than the last time you came on...well, the time before that."

As they walked out of the alleyway which they had parked in and onto the busy street, they took in the alternate surroundings.

"What's with all the zeppelins?" Jack asked.

"No...no no no!" exclaimed Ten, looking up at the zeppelins floating about in the sky. "We're too soon...quick. Newspaper, anybody?"

"Saturday, 28th of June. Why?" Jack replied, holding a newspaper in his hands. He cast a glance at Nine, who had cleared his throat. "Right."

"28th of June...and a Saturday!" exclaimed the Tenth Doctor. "I like Saturdays. Don't I? Good. We're not too soon. We're perfect. Fantastic, even--no, that still sounds wrong on the teeth. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant...mind you, at least people aren't walking around wearing those earPods. That's a good sign. We've just gotta find her...anywhere. Where?"

"10 Downing Street," stated the previous incarnation.

"What? No, we were there already, remember? Slitheen, Harriet Jones? Oh, here we go, 903 years old I must be getting senile."

"Use any excuse just to make fun of yourself do you?"

"Yep, that's me. Or you, I should say. What'd you mean 10 Downing Street?"

"Why don't you turn around and take a look?" retorted a frustrated Nine.

Both the Tenth and Jack (who had been watching the argument like it was a tennis match gone horribly wrong) turned to see a giant billboard with two names on it.

_Britain Presidential Campaign: 2008 Results. Harold Saxon--President, Peter Tyler--Vice President. "Trust us on this!"_

"Doctor?" asked a slightly panicked Jack.

The Tenth Doctor's face fell. "No...there couldn't have been a way...but..."

He looked around.

_Ba-dum ba-dum. Ba-dum ba-dum_. A kid on the street was tapping his fingers.

It was everywhere around him now. The drums. How could he have missed it?

"Citizens of Great Britain," began a familiar voice, one that sent chills down Jack and the Tenth Doctor's spine. The trio turned around to find a hauntingly familiar face on a projected TV screen on the side of a building.

There he was, shown coming down stairs with cameras surronding him...and a blonde was right by his side, still, quiet, a matching wedding ring on her hand as the man pulled her in for a kiss. It made all three people's eyes widen in concern and fear.

"Old friends," the President continued, now shone live being interviewed by a reporter. Jack and Ten exchanged glances. "This world is sick and oh, _so_ close to death. The metal men, the people disappearing from the streets...we have seen so much hardship. But, there can be ways to fix this. This is a time of healing, not more violence and hatred. There are..._alternatives. _So before this...delicate _flower_ of a country is destroyed, we need to heal it. We need...a Doctor..."

"Doctor..." Jack turned toward the Tenth Doctor as the President continued.

"Who is that?" the Ninth Doctor asked, tense.

"The Master," Jack and Ten replied.

"And he's got Rose held hostage as his wife," Jack finished.

"So much for an unspoiled reunion."

* * *

_Okay. So I watched Sound of Drums again and this popped into my head. Plus that, I was re-reading a story written just prior to Series 3 and it showed the Doctor regenerating into 'the guy from Life on Mars' and I googled who it was and it was John Simm and I was like...okay, so what if..._

_Like it, hate it? More coming in the 100 themes!!_


End file.
